Paper Packages Tied Up With Strings

Aren't presents great? I think I've always had just a little bit more fun giving presents than receiving them. Although it's gotten harder as we've all gotten older to find a present that is just right, it's so satisfying to find something special for a person you love. I remember one year when I was about eleven finding the game "Stratego" at Wal-mart for only $5. I was so thrilled because I knew my brother would love it and because I could actually afford it. That was a very exciting feeling!

One of my favorite things about presents is their wrapping! There are so many wonderful choices of paper and ribbon to use- it's almost an art form! At my seasonal job I had to wrap faux packages for businesses to display under their trees. I got to be quite a professional at wrapping, I must say. One company's theme was black and silver so their packages were dramatic if not very festive. I had to take a photo of some of my favorites because I thought they looked pretty cool.



Sadly, one tragedy of the modern Christmas is the overuse of gift bags. While more environmentally friendly per se, they are much less fun! And although much easier, it isn't quite as satisfying to throw the present in a bag with a little tissue. I think the prettier the present, the more exciting it is to open- and whether you like the gift or not, it was well worth the effort!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cookies

Well I can't believe I let almost the entire month of December go by without stopping by here and documenting my delightful moments! And December is my favorite month, full of wonderfully beautiful things!! How could I have been so thoughtless?



Today my delighful dalliance is devoted to Christmas Cookies! Pretty much all cookies are wonderful, but there is something extra special about Christmas cookies! In my family we have always had "the classics", the cookies we try to make every year. One of our top favorites are Pepperkakker cookies, a swedish cookie that is similar to gingerbread but sweeter with less of a kick. The number one favorite in our house are definitely swedish cremes, but they are so flaky and hard to make that we probably only end up making them every other year. When we lived in Iowa my mom came across a recipe at a cookie exchange for "Butterfinger cookies" which are made by creating peanut butter sandwiches out of ritz or wheat thins and dipping them in melted chocolate (almond bark.) Those became an instant classic. The best part about making cookies is doing it with someone you love, having fun decorating and tasting the "broken" ones.

Every family has different favorites and I think it's fun to see what other kinds of cookies people normally make for their holiday festivities. It's funny what a simple dessert can mean to people, but Christmas wouldn't be quite the same without the old classics. I'll always remember being the "chosen one" to go to the cold garage at Christmas time, open up all the tins and beautifully arrange a plate of all the varieties of Christmas cookies for dessert. Somehow the thrill of that small Christmas tradition still touches me today.

Painting

I finished my pieces for the Art Show and they ended up being displayed despite my insecurities. I felt they were not as strong as they should have been to be publicly displayed, but I felt a sense of obligation to enter them because I didn't want the art gallery to be empty.

When I saw all the wonderful pieces that people from the church brought in, I still felt insecure about my work, but I also felt that other people who entered weren't "professionals" either so it made me feel a little less conspicuous. There were a few stunners, like Mandi's, the texture she used was so inviting. Altogether I thought it was really neat to see the way that people brought the theme into being. I had such a hard time with "God With Us" that I almost couldn't believe the variety that showed up!

My pieces didn't end up being as abstract as I had planned but I am fairly happy with the result. I just feel that they are a little flat... they need more dimension. I just need more practice with watercolor. Here is a photo of my piece entitled "Psalm 139". This piece was inspired by the title verse. I thought about the way that God is With Us from the moment we are conceived and is in control of every aspect of our lives to what we do and the number of breaths we take.



The photo of my 2nd piece, "How The Lilies Grow", was taken before I did the background, so imagine it with a similar background to the first, Matthew 6 written out with shades of blue surrounded the lilies. I was thinking about how God is so much with us that he satisfies all our needs and gives us no reason to worry. My motto has always been to prepare as much as you can and then forget it because worry accomplishes nothing. Matthew 6 is a perfect reminder of God's constant provision.




I'll try to remember to take a photo of the finished painting to post here, since the mid-way through piece doesn't have any oomph. :)